Presidency-Punjab govt standoff intensifies

LAHORE After provincial authorities dilly-dallying over implementation of Presidents order regarding grant of remission to prisoners, the standoff between the presidency and Punjab government has intensified, as Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer has also stepped in to play his constitutional role in this regard. In a written communication, the Governor has, through his office, enquired from the Punjab chief secretary about implementation of status of presidential order of April 9, granting remission in sentence to prisoners on the auspicious occasion of passage of 18th Amendment Bill by the National Assembly. Seeking a written reply from the CS about non-implementation of the Presidents order, the office of the governor has quoted Article 45 of the Constitution which says: The President shall have power to grant pardon, reprieve and respite, and to remit, suspend or commute any sentence passed by any court, tribunal or other authority. While responding to TheNations query if he would play his constitutional role to get Presidents order implemented by the Punjab government, Governor Salmaan Taseer said he was waiting for a reply from Punjab chief secretary who has been contacted by his office to know the reasons behind delay in the execution of presidential order. Talking to this scribe, the Governor said he was astonished to know as to why Punjab government was using delaying tactics to release the prisoners. He said Article 45 of the Constitution authorised the President to announce reduction in sentence of prisoners on certain occasions, and it was not for the first time that such a remission has been granted to them. When Nawaz Sharif was Prime Minister in 1997, the then President (Farooq Leghari) also invoked the said article and granted 1/5th remission in sentence to the prisoners, he said, adding that it was the same Article (45) under which Sharif brothers got presidential pardon before leaving for Saudi Arabia in 2000. Taseer was of the view that it would be tantamount to violating the Constitution if Punjab government did not implement Presidents order. The Punjab government, on the other hand, believes that President has announced reduction in sentence of prisoners by 1/4th just to rescue his friend Ahmad Riaz Sheikh who was put behind the bars last month by the Supreme Court, being one of the beneficiaries of the NRO. Meanwhile, a spokesperson of Punjab government has contradicted the news items appearing in a section of the press that Punjab government has written a letter to the federal government regarding remission in terms of prisoners on the passage of 18th Amendment. The spokesman has categorically stated that the Punjab government has sent no such letter to the federal government. However, the spokesman said that the Punjab Advocate General as well as Home, Law and Prosecution authorities are considering the impact of the release of around 4,000 prisoners involved in heinous crimes such as drug peddling, illegal possession of weapons, robbery, immoral activities and corruption, who are likely to benefit from this decision, on the law and order situation of the province.